Published authors who are recognized authorities in the field of religion (by special invitation only).

More than 200 Fellows have participated in the Jesus Seminar and other Westar projects since 1985. At various stages of the projects, different Fellows have been involved in the research and deliberations.

Westar Fellows are critical scholars. Critical scholars make empirical, factual evidence—evidence open to confirmation by independent, neutral observers—the controlling factor in historical judgments, rather than putting dogmatic considerations first and insisting that the factual evidence confirm theological premises. Westar Fellows who exemplify the ideals of a critical scholar may be inducted into the Order of David Friedrich Strauss. Strauss was an early pioneer in historical Jesus research who lost his university position after publishing his Life of Jesus in 1835. He was only 27 years old.